The bandannas, camouflage clothing and big bushy beards sported by the “Duck Dynasty” crowd grab TV viewers and readers nationwide, and now it appears the Louisiana-dwelling Robertsons’ outfits are ranked as one of this year’s most popular Halloween costumes.

The monstrous fake beards can be had at Ed’s Broadway Gift & Costume store in downtown Lake Orion. “They’re a big deal,” said shop owner Lloyd Coe.
Blend in wearing a natty camouflage-covered suit jacket from Sutton’s Costumes and Tuxedo in Waterford.

Both stores also offer all manner of wigs, hats, shoes, adult and children’s costumes, rentals and jewelry.

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According to a recent National Retail Federation, nearly 44 percent of Americans plan to dress up for Halloween, and they will spend a total of $2.6 billion on costumes. Consumers will shell out $1.04 billion on children’s costumes, and $1.22 billion on adult costumes.

National Halloween outlets are showing Daft Punk and nerd costumes on TV commercials.
If looking like duck hunters isn’t your cup of tea, choose from the celebrity masks that line the wall at Ed’s.

The political masks, Presidents Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, are “popular and sell year-round,” said Coe, who has operated his store with wife, Kathy, at 2 South Broadway since 1996.

“We have a special on Mitt Romney masks,” he joked.

A smiling John Kennedy and George W. Bush await. Coe said a yeti (Bigfoot) mask is also popular.
If prizes are involved at your costume party, costume sellers recommend getting professional makeup applied.

Kathy Coe is taking appointments for airbrush makeup.

Chris Sutton at her Waterford store, Sutton’s Costumes, also will help customers with tips and makeup.
Sutton said steampunk outfits covered with feathers, frills and antique jewels and fur are popular at her store on Dixie Highway. Steampunk Workshop.com states that the look hails from a “sub-culture which delights in making things that are a blend of the modern and anachronistic.”

Both Ed’s and Sutton’s owners agree that zombie getups are also top sellers.

“It’s been huge for years,” said Sutton, whose staff this year created 10 gold-sequined jackets for Kid Rock’s band.

Sutton also steers customers to a separate shop next door packed with bridal gowns.“We bought out a salon in Centerville and some of the gowns date back to the 1960s,” she said. People can also buy one of the sale gowns to become a “Bride of Frankenstein,” for example, Sutton offered.
Lloyd Coe said, if you wear a mask, remember you can adjust the look. “People don’t realize even with latex, you can cut the eyeholes and mouths bigger so you can still eat and drink,” he said.

Coe also said if a person wants to dress up the windows in their house, he has eye-popping window posters. “They’re translucent and you leave a light on behind them,” he said, pointing toward one that features a sinister-looking Dracula staring out of the frame.

About the Author

Carol Hopkins covers Waterford and White Lake townships. She has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Michigan, and she worked as a senior editor for Detroit Monthly magazine and as a reporter for The Oakland Press since 2003. Reach the author at carol.hopkins@oakpress.com
or follow Carol on Twitter: @OPCarolHopkins.